The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has warned over a looming humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan due to ongoing violence in the country.
An estimated 270,000 Afghans have been newly displaced inside the country since January 2021 – primarily due to insecurity and violence – bringing the total uprooted population to over 3.5 million.
UNHCR reported that the families forced to flee their homes in recent weeks cite the worsening security situation as the predominant reason for their flight.
In addition to ongoing fighting, displaced civilians have told UNHCR and partners of incidents of extortion by non-state armed groups and the presence of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) on major roads.
Many have reported interruptions to social services and a loss of income due to rising insecurity.
The number of civilian casualties has risen 29 percent during the first quarter of this year compared to 2020, according to UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, UNHCR says. An increasing proportion of women and children were among those targeted.
The needs of those who have had to flee suddenly are acute. UNHCR and partners, as part of a coordinated response, are assisting newly displaced Afghans with emergency shelter, food, health, water, and sanitation support, and cash assistance, despite challenges in accessing vulnerable groups.
UNHCR says that the resilience of the Afghan people has been pushed to the limit by prolonged conflict, high levels of displacement, the impact of COVID-19, recurrent natural disasters, including drought, and deepening poverty. Some 65 percent of the Afghan population – in and outside of Afghanistan – are children and young people.
